NASCAR color schemes have history of wide variety

With the dawn of every Sprint Cup season comes the change of paint schemes that either update the colors of existing sponsors or introduce new ones in grand fashion.

ben white

With the dawn of every Sprint Cup season comes the change of paint schemes that either update the colors of existing sponsors or introduce new ones in grand fashion.Today's designs are carefully studied, drawn and approved after many high level corporate meetings in search of the perfect rolling billboard. It's surprising to learn some of the most famous color schemes throughout NASCAR's 64-year history simply developed by chance. One rather uneventful decision about color involved "The King," Richard Petty. It's no secret North Carolina's most successful race driver went on to win 200 NASCAR races including seven Daytona 500s and seven-career championships. One could classify the iconic paint on his Plymouths and Dodges a mismatched mistake. "Back when Daddy (Lee Petty) raced, we got to where we needed paint for his race car and didn't have a lot of one color around the shop," Petty said. "We ran white cars for a while and blue ones a little later on. "One day we needed to paint a car and had a half-can of white and a half-can of dark blue but not enough of either one to paint the whole car. So we ended up mixing them together. That's how we came up with Petty Blue and have used it for over 50 years. It came about sort of by accident I guess." When STP Corporation came on board Petty's Plymouths and Dodges in 1972, chief executive Andy Granatelli was set on running a solid red car. Petty felt the request was out of the question for the car No. 43. A compromise was made to allow red on the sides and rear portion of the top. Also, Buddy Baker drove a solid red No. 11 Petty Dodge for STP in 10 races in 1972. Another incredibly iconic paint scheme belonged to the late Dale Earnhardt and Welcome's RCR Enterprises. Ironically, the color black on the famed No. 3 Chevrolet was not their first choice. Behind closed doors in late 1987, an RCR Chevrolet was painted medium blue to match the GM Goodwrench logo in the center of the car's hood. White on blue and blue on white combinations were studied, but none hit the mark. An off the cuff suggestion from a GM executive to go with black put the intimidating masterpiece in motion.After Earnhardt's death in February of 2001, Kevin Harvick took over the newly numbered 29 Chevrolet and the color was changed to white. Some 25 years earlier in 1963, the immensely popular Fireball Roberts drove Fords for the famed Holman-Moody team based on Charlotte. Fans loved his solid lavender Fords with the white numbers trimmed in red. The car stood out nicely against all other color schemes on the track. At times, he wore a purple driver's suit and helmet to match the car and easily stood out in crowds on pit road. Truth is, Roberts didn't particularly care for the purplish scheme. It's believed the idea came from a Ford executive in Detroit associated with the racing program who wanted to assert his power over his drivers. Roberts died as a result of a crash at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May of 1964. The Wood Brothers team owned by Glen Wood is still one of the most respected race teams in NASCAR history. They ran solid red cars until 1965 when the paint scheme went to maroon over white. Cale Yarborough, A.J. Foyt, Donnie Allison, David Pearson and Neil Bonnett won many races with those colors through 1982. Once again, compromise was in order between team owner and sponsor. Buz McKim, historian of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, designed the 1974 Mercury Montego scheme driven by Pearson. "Purolator had just unveiled their new logo and they wanted a big change on the car with the '74 season and the new body style, the first for the team in many years," McKim said. "The Woods were a bit resistant to big changes so a compromise was struck between the sponsor and the owner, just a few subtle changes. I designed the red to come around the base of the windshield and brought it to a line that incorporated the "L" in the Purolator logo. The red line then became a red area that wrapped around the grill area of the car. The blue double lines in the new Purolator logo were used all the way around the car. "I was honored that they used that design for many seasons. They had been using the maroon and white for quite a while. We just put a little stylish spin on it."Some teams continued to paint their Chevrolets, Fords and Toyotas, while others use full decal wraps to get their colors noticed. Putting sponsors in front of the public has always been a vital part of NASCAR racing. History will repeat itself when today's color schemes become as iconic as those of decades past. Ben White is a motorsports columnist for The Dispatch.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.